1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a trap for flying insects, particularly flies, of the type having a source of insect attracting light and an adhesive surface disposed in the vicinity of said source of insect attracting light, on which insects attracted to the light become immobilized.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many types of traps for flying insects, particularly flies, are known which employ various methods for killing or immobilizing the insects which enter the trap. Typically, such traps also employ some type of insect attractor in order to lure the insects into the trap. Insect attracting chemicals and insect attracting light sources are commonly employed for this purpose.
So-called electrocuting traps are particularly effective traps of the above general type. Such traps employ wires or a grid connected to a voltage source, and insects coming into contact with these wires or grid are thereby electrocuted. When this occurs, there is an audible sound associated with the electrocution of the flying insect.
This audible sound makes electrocuting traps undesirable for use in facilities such as restaurants wherein food is served, or in any commercial or private location where the repeated noise associated with electrocuting traps would be inappropriate or discomforting to patrons of the establishment or guests of a private residence.
In order to avoid the use of electrocuting traps in such locations, so-called glueboard traps have been developed. These traps typically employ a source of insect attracting light, and an adhesive surface, known as a glueboard, which is disposed relatively close to the source of insect attracting light. Flying insects which are attracted by the light alight or walk on the glueboard, and become adhered thereto, and thus are immobilized within the trap. Typically, the glueboard is removable from the trap so that it can be periodically replaced with a clean glueboard.
One such known flying insect trap of the so-called glueboard type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,822. This unit has a rectilinear housing in which a fluorescent bulb is disposed, which emits ultraviolet radiation. The top of the rectilinear enclosure is provided with a removable cover, and the unit can be used with or without the cover in place, i.e., the top of the enclosure can be completely closed when the cover is in place, or can be completely open when the cover is removed. The bottom of the enclosure has an opening therein, with the glueboard being disposed below the bulb and adjacent this opening. The opening in the bottom of the enclosure is for the purpose of illuminating signage which may be disposed beneath the lamp enclosure, such as an exit sign. The unit is typically mounted to a vertical surface, such as the wall of a room, or it can be hung from the ceiling.
Another known trap of the glueboard type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690. The lamp enclosure for this unit is described as having angled walls, which produce a combination of direct light from the light source and reflected light from the light source onto either a vertical or horizontal surface. According to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690, such a combination of direct and reflected light results in improved insect attractancy, and therefore according to the teachings of this patent an improved insect catching rate is also achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690 teaches that the most likely direction of entry of an insect into the trap enclosure will be vertically into an upwardly facing trap. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690 states that it is highly desirable to avoid placing any substantial barrier in the flying insect trap that would prevent entry from above. U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690 states that no barrier should be placed to impede insects from walking down the vertical surface into the trap, and the light sources should not be substantially obscured at this top opening by any portion of the housing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690 also states that bare light sources do not attract insects as well as a combination of direct radiated light and a diffused display of reflective light on the vertical surface.
The trap described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,690 is commercially offered by Ecolab, Inc. under the designation Stealth.RTM.. In the commercial embodiment, the lamp enclosure is made of white plastic and is relatively large and unattractive. The exterior appearance of the Stealth.RTM. trap would not be considered appropriate, for example, for use in a restaurant with a modestly decorative motif. A much more aesthetically attractive glueboard trap was sold by Gilbert Industries under the name Flying Venus. This trap has been sold in several versions. The earliest version was as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 364,479. This trap has an exterior housing generally in the shape of a wide V, and has an open top. One or two ultraviolet emitting fluorescent bulbs are disposed in a lamp enclosure, the bulbs being directly viewable through the open top of the housing and enclosure. In the version of the Flying Venus trap shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 364,479, the front panel of the enclosure can be lifted upwardly, to facilitate replacement of the glueboard. This front panel has a series of rectangular openings therein, so that the bulbs also can be directly viewed through these openings. The lamp enclosure in this version of the Flying Venus had two sidewalls disposed at an angle relative to the base to which the bulbs are mounted.
In a later version of the Flying Venus trap, the exterior housing maintained the same general V-shape, however, the front was made completely solid, i.e., the rectangular openings were eliminated. The lamp enclosure was changed to a completely rectilinear enclosure, i.e., all angles therein were 90.degree.. Again, the top of the lamp enclosure was open.
All versions of the Flying Venus were sold with a highly decorative exterior appearance, such as burnished brass or aluminum covered with black or white vinyl. Since the enclosure was entirely metallic, even the vinyl-covered versions exhibited a decorative appearance, with all versions being well-suited for use in an environment wherein they would merely be viewed as a lighting source, and their function as an insect trap may not even be discernable to the casual observer.
Another exterior shape of a wall sconce light fixture is described in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 394,518. This configuration retains the general V-shape of the aforementioned Flying Venus, but the top portion of the enclosure is squared off, so as to conform to the rectilinear shape of the lamp enclosure.
A problem associated with traps such as the Stealth.RTM. trap which intentionally produce a pattern of light on the vertical mounting surface, i.e., the wall, to which the trap is attached, is that due to the nature of the ultraviolet light which is used to attract insects, fading of any wall covering, such as paint or wallpaper, immediately above the trap inevitably occurs. Such fading may be discernable even while the trap is in place, but it is particularly distinct and identifiable if and when the mounting location of the trap changes. When the trap is removed, or moved to a different location, the faded pattern on the wall remains without any trap beneath it. This necessitates either re-painting or re-papering the wall every time a trap is removed, or its location is changed, if the trap has been in place for a sufficiently long time to produce the aforementioned fading.